Potty Training update

So I read some books and I am starting to do some potty training, which to me at this point means, understanding what his body does and that we do it in a toilet. The reasearch says that babies at this age are really open to new ideas and it is more of a game to them and it is important to establish a positive potty culture, so I jumped in on Monday.

Yesterday we were very sucessful, he peed on the potty 4 times, had 2 accidents on the floor near the potty and I made a big deal of how exciting it was. He even made the sign for "change" two of those times and we got to the potty in time. HURRAY!! He loves to flush and thinks washing hands is lots of fun. We spent the better part of yesterday naked to help with this.

Today, was my step backwards, this morning we sat on the potty as soon as he woke up (even though his diaper was wet) and we read stories for a few minutes. He did a few drips and I thought he was done. On the walk to flush he sprayed the bathroom . I should have turned in my Mommy Card there. he didn't go on the potty at all today, I missed every single potty teaching moment. I was kind of bummed. After three days of trying though he finally found his penis and spent the better part of 10 minutes looking at it and touching it. I was trying not to be too Victorian Era and to let him explore his body, which is part of the understanding process, but I was having a hard time not laughing and I don't want to make THAT a game.

Just thought I would share.

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Sarah

Lucky to be married to Tim (who is lovely!) and we have our perfect son Ethan (1-21-09) and our beautiful daughter Katie (9-24-10)

Comments (15)

I just bought Julianna a princess potty for her birthday...we are gonna be trying it soon since baby #2 will be here in april. My mom said I was potty trained at 18 months so Im gonna shoot for that ;)

We've been practicing elimination communication for a couple of months. Avan goes about 80% of the time in the potty. Anytime he's dry he makes it. It can be done!! We hope to be diaper free by 2!! Great job with early training!!

My mom said that all 4 of her girls were potty trained by 16-18 months! Ive been putting DS (dear son) on the potty for a few weeks now and he's went quite a few times, even poo! He gets really excited about it. I have his potty seat in his room beside the diaper changing area so we set there between each diaper change and I try to catch him "almost" in the act and put him on the potty. He likes it and tries to set up there all the time!

I am glad I am not the only one out there beginning this. Everyone I have told has said that I am crazy. I kind of feel alone in on this one. We did sucessfully go in the potty today but I am fairly sure he doesn't yet realize that he is doing it. I guess this is a slow but steady kind of process.

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Sarah

Lucky to be married to Tim (who is lovely!) and we have our perfect son Ethan (1-21-09) and our beautiful daughter Katie (9-24-10)

I 've been putting my LO (little one) on the potty for a while and veyone thinks I'm nouts too but we went poopy on the potty yeaterday and Abbi is signing potty, but after she goes. At least she understands what the signn is for.

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~ Coral

Mommy to Abbigayle Cailin born 1/9/09 and Morrigan Ashlyn born 1/8/12 and Expecting number 3

I checked out books from the library, a lot of them advocate waiting until 24 months or even older, but one book was specifically about early potty training and it stated research that if you start now it is actually eaiser to train them and they train in a shorter time. All of the books suggested a handfull of the same things:

1) set the potty chair out in the play area for a few days before starting. Even using a doll to show what it is for, start taking your child to the bathroom with you, to show them what it is for and talk about it, also modeling good behaviors (flushing once, washing hands)

2) create a positive potty attitude, by making it fun, sitting on the potty for a short time, playing games, singing songs (I read stories when my guys sits there). Never getting angry about accidents, not yelling out when they start to pee everywhere.

3) when they do pee on the potty, making a psst sound or signing "potty" for little ones so they can communitcate that to us.

4) to avoid pull ups or training pants until they are able to really say,"I have to go", those are just for accidents, if you use them now they just become another diaper

5) being naked for several hours at a time (my potty is in the kitchen where there is tile so we can do this with easy clean up) that way you can start to learn their pattern of going and point out, "you are peeing" when they do go.

6) if they do go on the potty, make a big deal of the success and follow up with good potty behaviors, flushing once, washing hands.

Those seem to be the points that every book agreed on. The early start book says that if you start now you are helping them to understand that a diaper is not a toilet, if you wait longer like the recommended 18-24 months kids are then associating their diaper as where they pee, I feel that right now I am (slowly) helping my LO (little one) to understand what a potty chair is for.

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Sarah

Lucky to be married to Tim (who is lovely!) and we have our perfect son Ethan (1-21-09) and our beautiful daughter Katie (9-24-10)

I usually think that EC is total crap (and just potty training adults and not babies), but I think at 12+ months starting potty learning is fine. My mom asked me today if Viola was interested in PL and I asked her if she was crazy! She then said that both my sister and I were PL at 13 months! Crazy! My brother took until 24 months but he was slower with everything (learning disability). So, I am gonna get her a potty for her birthday and try it out! Good luck and don't be bummed about one bad day!

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